Rural Upliftment

Teaching the means to secure the
necessities of life

The Trusts have prioritised issues related to the upliftment of marginalised and poor communities in rural India for almost a century, supporting programmes targeted at bettering quality of life, health and education. To achieve this, projects in the recently remodeled rural upliftment portfolio (RUP) target rural income generation through farm and non-farm activities, water conservation and irrigation systems, fisheries, and the production, post-harvest activities and marketing of produced goods. The development, strengthening and handholding of farmer producer organisations and other such institutions is a major part of this activity. The management of forest resources, primary processing sectors, rural enterprise and business development, diversification and rural tourism are also covered by the programme.

The many years of experience have allowed the Trusts to identify and evolve best practices and learnings which are replicated across issues and regions, adapting to and shaping large initiatives, while integrating projects for larger and more sustainable benefits. A challenge now is adaption to change, including climate-related change. Therefore, the core of the programme remains innovation and the integration of ideas and projects with a focus on sustainability through the development of strong exit policies. A significant change is now being brought about by a relatively new and developing area of focus, the integration of technology into different aspects of projects. From the MKrishi model of crop information dissemination geared towards higher production and the designing of simpler and more efficient machinery, to micro-irrigation systems and the use of solar options in energy, technology is here to stay.

The Trusts RUP programmes, in collaboration with partners from national and international governments, corporate and social sectors, unroll across the country through a network of producer organisations that form the core of the portfolio. Institution building, finance and risk mitigation therefore form the crucial backbone of the programme.

Weaving dreams

The Nettle Fibre Project in Chamoli Garhwal help women make a living from processing, spinning and weaving nettle fibre